European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 04, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Victorian mistake finds new life on a narrow Guage Welsh by Robert Barr the associated press the Fairlie Patent double Bogie steam locomotive is a victorian Absurdity a technological dead end a 30-ton Metal mutant with smokestacks at both ends and a cab in the Middle. Sensible railroads gave up on it a Century ago but not the Ffestiniog railway. It has just built another one. The Ffestiniog has been renowned since its earliest Days As leading the Field in narrow gauge railway technology. And what we re doing now in building new locomotives is just a continuation of that said Michael Hart a director of the Railroad in Porthmadog Wales. The new Fairlie christened David Lloyd Geqrge Jan april 16, gives the railway a stable oath Iree. The first was built in 1879 and the second exactly a Century later. Whatever their technical limitations the Little push me pull you engines Are the David Lloyd George sits outside the train shed in Porthmadog Wales superbly efficient at pulling 11 pounds about $16 from a tourist s Wallet for the 13-mile ride up the Swyryd River Valley to Bra eau Ffestiniog on meandering rails. That Are just 23 to inches apart. The town has two f s but the Railroad just one because the act of parliament that established the Railroad in 1832 spelled it Ffestiniog about 300,000 people Rode the line last year and the Railroad s 60 employees make it the biggest Industry in town. Because the Railroad creates jobs in a depressed Region the european Community paid 45 percent of the $500,000 it Cost to build the new locomotive. David Lloyd George named for the British prime minister who began his Law career in Porthmadog emerged from the railway s shops last year and is surely the _ Best Fairlie Ever built. Drawing on 100 years of technological advances the Ffestiniog s mechanics fitted the engine with a welded boiler raised the pressure by 25 percent and added a superheated to get More oomph from the steam. It All paid off. Myrddin Emrys a double Fairlie built in the railway s shops in 1879, Burns 11.5 Gallons of recycled automobile Oil per Carriage per trip but David Lloyd George will do the same work on 6.4 Gallons. The improvements however Are All hidden. It would be awful if it was visible said cordon Rushton the line s general manager. We saw pictures on the Wall from 1879 and we said wow i would like to produce something like that when you be got the Opportunity of building that s what you  that is a change of philosophy from 1979, when Ffestiniog s Boston Lodge shops built the Earl of Merioneth As an unadorned modern double Fairlie. The engine is now being backdated with 19th supposedly lived. The 1966-70 Cadbury excavations directed by Leslie Alcock now of Glasgow University in Scotland were the chief activity of the Camelot research committee an Alliance of scholars and Amateur Arthur enthusiasts. Contrary to popular belief there was never any expectation on the part of the directing team it being Able to demonstrate the historical authenticity or otherwise of a certain King Arthur Alcock says. The most we were reckoning to be Able to do can be expressed in these terms that if